Story Told By My Mother- -By Mani Iyer                                                          =================                                                      (He is a writer and Thinker)                                                       ---------------------------------- My mother used to tell me that Ramayan is the story of your body and every one's body.       How come I ask?  Her reply was as under "I am explaining certain characters of Ramayan.Dasarath is a person who keeps all the ten sense organs Indriyas under his control and run the chariot named Body. Dasanan(Ravan) is just the opposite who let all the ten Indriyas for unlimited enjoyment without any leash. Lakshman is a mind broken into Lacs of pieces i.e. an agitated mind. Hanuman is one who has conquered his mind or killed his mind. Not only Dasarath had three spouses we all have three i.e. Body, Mind and Intellect. In the Ramayana Lakshman was always agitated and never took a good decision because of his agitated mind.  Whereas Hanuman was Intelligent, Strong and helped all including Vibhishan, Sugreev, Lakshman, and Ram. He was always happily dancing without expecting anything in return.To agitated Lakshman Sumitra told him to accompany Ram to the forest saying 'Treat Ram as Dasarath, Sita as Myself (Mother) and the forest as Ayodhya -- "      All what you feel is conditioned by mind only and you can perceive them differently too.When the soul was about to depart the body it asks the body if it will accompany him as it has taken a lot of trouble to keep the body in good shape to which the body's reply was "No, after attaching me with you I had never gone back to my parental home and as soon as you depart I will join the five elements and therefore cannot come with you"The soul then asks the mind saying that I have danced to your tunes all my life and will you come with me to which the mind replies "Don't be a fool, I am born to feel everything and this I can do only with a living body hence I won't accompany you. Finally the soul turns to the Intellect and says "It is true I had not followed your good counsel throughout my life, have you got anything further to say to which it replies "some of your friends and relatives will visit you when they know you are leaving the body, some of them may even come to the cremation ground, your dear spouse will  even be afraid to come near your dead body.Your beloved son will set you to fire.  This is the story of everyone."Suddenly there was another voice telling the soul "all of them (who were dear and near to you) have deserted you but mind you I will be always with you as long as I live.  Who are you asks the soul and get the reply --You had no time to think about me because you were busy fulfilling one desire after other.  I am the bundle of all your unfulfilled desires and till you exhaust all of them you will have no Moksha (merge with the God) and you will born again and again.    Therefore my dear friends, sit in a calm posture, analyse your  desires and eliminate them one after the other and at the same time to see that you do not create new desires.                                  ****************************